Hugh Jackman to host Tony Awards again

Actor Hugh Jackman will return to host the 68th Tony Awards in June, his fourth time overseeing the ceremony, which honours the best of Broadway.

The Wolverine star previously presided over the ceremony from 2003-2005.

He won an Emmy for his hosting duties in 2004, the same year his performance in the musical The Boy from Oz secured him a Tony Award of his own.

Neil Patrick Harris helmed the ceremony for the fourth time last year, but is acting on Broadway this Spring.

"Hugh is an extraordinary talent and loyal supporter of the Broadway community - whether he is on-stage or in the audience," said a joint statement from Tony Awards chiefs Charlotte St Martin and Heather Hitchens.

"We are honoured to have him back as host," they continued, praising Jackman's versatility and showmanship.

The Australian actor won a Golden Globe last year for his role in Tom Hooper's film version of Les Miserables.

He was last seen on Broadway in 2011 with a hugely successful one-man show and also appeared in A Steady Rain with Daniel Craig in 2009.

His other stage credits include Trevor Nunn's London production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Australian productions of Sunset Boulevard and Beauty and the Beast.

Jackman recently pulled out of a new Broadway musical in which he was set to play famous illusionist Harry Houdini, blaming scheduling demands.

The Tony ceremony on 8 June at New York's Radio City Music Hall will be broadcast live on US TV on the CBS network.

Last year's TV show secured an audience of 7.24 million, the largest audience for the Tony Awards in four years.